NB Power says it won’t cut off vulnerable people for not paying bills this winter

The NB Power headquarters in Fredericton. (Source: Nick Moore/CTV News Atlantic)

NB Power says it won’t leave vulnerable people in the dark for not paying their bills this winter, but an advocacy group says the move doesn’t go far enough.

NB Power said it has introduced a moratorium on disconnection for vulnerable populations from Dec. 1 to March 31. The plan will apply to people who are 70 year older and up, people who have confirmed medical issues that require electricity-powered equipment, or people with an annual household income less than $70,000.

Customers who quality for the moratorium will be required to make some payment each month to keep their accounts in good standing.

“Electricity disconnection has always been a last resort, but we do understand that the possibility of that during the winter season can add additional stress to customers,” said Lori Clark, president and CEO of NB Power, in a news release. “At NB Power, we are committed to finding new and impactful ways of offering support and easing the financial stress some of our customers are facing related to managing their bills.”

NB Power said it will directly engage with impacted customers to find solutions, such as payment assistance programs or equalized payment plans.

ACORN, an advocacy group for low to moderate-income people, said the moratorium is not enough as it is “not permanent nor universal.” The group criticized the income threshold of less than $70,000, saying people who make just over that amount will “be in the dark and the cold this winter.”

“It’s a temporary measure set to expire in a year, much like Blain Higgs’s rent cap—as if cutting off poor people’s power will be OK in 2026,” a news release from the group reads.

ACORN said it will be holding a rally at Assumption Place in Moncton at 1 p.m. on Saturday as they call for the disconnection moratorium to be made permanent and universal.

NB Power says the vulnerable populations committee, which was launched last May, advocated for the temporary moratorium.

“The moratorium will function as a pilot, to allow NB Power an opportunity to collect and analyze data on arrears, payment plans, and customer outcomes to inform the design of a long-term affordability and service-continuity policy framework,” the utility said.

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